"This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
Today's gospel speaks of the sign of Jonah. The hapless prophet was "resurrected" when Leviathan regurgitated him on the Mediterranean shore and he set out for distant Nineveh. Although the story might have been comical to Jesus and his listeners, his intent was very serious. Nor were his opponents prepared for what would happen when the sign's meaning was revealed.
The sign of the cross remains a precious mystery for us. Bishop Barron's Word on Fire website has a short article about the gesture which Catholics call the sign of the cross. It is very dear to our hearts; and I confess I use it to discover the nature of the group before me. If someone asks me to give the benediction before a meal or discussion, I very loudly announce, "In the name of the Father...." and watch to see who goes with me. It's also an easy way to transition from the preliminary how dee dos to let's get started.
In today's first reading from Saint Paul's very important Letter to the Romans, he speaks of himself as "a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an Apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God." That is his new identity, quite different from the one he'd known before his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Before that he might have claimed, with his fellow Pharisees, to be a free man.
You'll recall that the Lord's opponents insisted upon that in John 8:33. Partisans like Paul (and today's Democrats and Republicans) could not have known they were, in fact, slaves of their own fixed opinions. They feared more than anything being discovered as less than fanatical about their convictions. Like our contemporary partisans, they had no sense of humor about religion, politics, or themselves. They would never compare themselves to the foolish Jonah.
When we sign ourselves with the cross we embrace the Lord's passion and death as our way of life and sign of hope; and we declare to any observer to whom we belong. We are free in our service of the Lord, and, as the Apostle says, "a slave of Christ Jesus."
Signing ourselves in unison with a group of Catholics, we identify our Church and the Lord's gathering us into this sacred fellowship. We know so many who are unmoored, without guidance or secure identity. Many never knew their fathers, some have lost touch with their mothers. We have found our Father in God; a savior and brother in Jesus; our mother in Mary, the Mother of God; and our membership in a cloud of witnesses.
All this comes together in the routine gesture of signing ourselves with the cross and "the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.